Here you'll find a range of hints and tips to make the most of your time meeting to focus on the running and growth of your group.

The role of the Chair

The Chair's position and tasks:

• ensure all the business is discussed.
• make sure everyone’s views are heard.
• confirm that clear decisions are reached.
• drive the meeting to start and finish on time.
• always be thinking about the meeting overall, not just the topic under discussion.
• always aim to draw a balance between hearing everyone’s views and getting through the business.
• never use their position as chair as an opportunity to put forward their views to the exclusion of others, or to dominate the meeting.

Do note that this is the person chairing that particular meeting, this can be a different person every time you meet.  This can keep meetings dynamic and is often useful to consider if you have a specific topic or department to discuss, for example, in a finance meeting, the treasurer could chair to allow them to hear the voices of the other members.

This is different and more focused that the generalised role of the chairperson of the organisation.  LEARN MORE HERE.

The role of the Minute Taker

• take rough notes that accurately reflect the decisions and discussions that took place during the meeting.
• write up these notes in an agreed format so that information can be easily discerned and communications are clear thus avoiding any confusion.
• indicate clearly within the minutes any actions.
• copy and distribute the minutes to all relevant people.
• ensure that a copy is filed appropriately.

The meeting Agenda

1. Create the agenda 7 - 10 days in advance-  Be consistent with your approach, create a format and stick to it.
2. Start with the simple details - Timings.  Date.  Location.  Attendees.  Objective.
3. Itemise - Create a manageable list of topics for discussion.
4. Any other pertinent information for the meeting - What do people need to do or prep before attending this meeting?  Who is chairing and who is minuting?

 

Meeting Hints and Tips

Start with a strong welcome

Take your time doing this, there is no rush.  It's important so make notes and make sure everything is covered.

• Thank everyone for coming and make any necessary introductions
• Present a summary of the agenda - this is to make sure everyone knows what you all have to get through and reduces tension if you have to end a discussion prematurely
• Depending on the meeting, this could be the start of a conversation or the place for a deep discussion, make sure everyone knows which it is
• Remind everyone of the ground rules
• Unless requested, encourage everyone to embrace and understand the importance of brevity - not every topic needs a heavy discussion or a lot of context.
• Offer alternatives - if this meeting isn't the place for heavy discussion or a lot of context and you have an alternative, set the scene for it here.

Why are we here?

You may have to remind everyone periodically (or every meeting depending on your meeting frequency) of some bigger-picture points

• It is often useful to reiterate the mission/purpose of the meeting or indeed organisation
• Setting the tone is important and how whoever is leading the meeting sets the feeling and tone for the rest of the meeting
• There may need to be boundaries around conversation topics, approaches or attitudes and these are set in the ground rules (see next section)
• You may have to remind people that change often takes time and not to give up on something if it doesn't work immediately or expect overnight results.
• Emotions and etiquette can often be hard to manage and short breaks can be useful if things get heated it could be that you need to return to the mission to remind people that it is admirable to be passionate but consider how their feelings are affective their behaviour and the impact it could have on others.

Ground Rules

We've pulled together some ideas of meeting ground rules for you to consider, make sure they still allow opinions to be shared and people to be respected.

• Ask people to speak ‘through the chair’. This means putting your hand up if you want to speak, and waiting for the chair to say it’s your turn.
• Don’t interrupt other people. One voice at a time.
• Stick to the item on the agenda.
• Don’t talk amongst yourselves.
• Respect other people’s views – don’t groan or pull faces when someone else is speaking. Wait until they’ve finished and then put your point of view calmly and politely.
• Keep contributions short and to the point.
• Start and finish the meeting on time.

Summarise

As the meeting chair/leader, one of the useful things you can do is summarise what someone has said.  This is beneficial for the minute-taker and everyone around the table.

As you are listening, work to identify the concept they person is reporting or making

Reduce it to 1 or 2 key points

Then repeat it back to the group, paraphrasing and summarising

Try to make this no more than 30 seconds to 2 minutes

Some other things to think

• If the conversation breaks down, someone gets offended or there is a misunderstanding, know what your options are.  This could be to take a break, minute it to continue the conversation at another meeting when people have had a chance to think through their response.
• Consider the motivations, agendas and personal missions or biases people may have.  You probably can't change them but you can bear them in mind when working with them.
• You may have to remind people of the bigger picture beyond the mission.  Sometimes you may have to bring up the legal or moral responsibility that the committee has to the group when things aren't going to plan.
• You will also have to self govern as a group which means making sure everyone does what they are there to do.  If someone isn't performing their task or participating, it's a collective discussion of how to handle the situation.